The present invention relates to servicing heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning (xe2x80x9cHVACxe2x80x9d) systems, and more particularly to troubleshooting and scheduling service of such systems.
It is not uncommon for an HVAC contractor, after servicing a customer""s climate control system, to leave behind a sticker bearing the contractor""s name and phone number. This is done in the obvious hope that the customer will reference the sticker and again call upon the HVAC contractor when the customer""s climate control system is next in need of service. For best visibility, the contractor may place (or attempt to place) such a sticker on or near the customer""s thermostat. However, these stickers are generally regarded as unattractive by customers. Therefore, many customers quickly remove the stickers, while others demand that they not be used in the first place. Consequently, the next time these customers require the services of an HVAC contractor, they might not call upon the same HVAC contractor as they did in the past, primarily since they might not recall which particular contractor they used. Not only does this result in lost opportunities for the contractor, it also represents an increased burden on the customer, who must bother with finding a new HVAC contractor, such as by selecting from an unfamiliar list of contractors in a telephone business directory.
On a related note, many customers try to identify the nature of any problem with their climate control system prior to calling an HVAC contractor for service. However, there is typically little if any troubleshooting information available to the customer when needed. While a product manual for a new furnace or air conditioner may contain a troubleshooting chart listing fault symptoms and possible solutions, for the average individual, the whereabouts of this product manual will be unknown when a need for the troubleshooting information arises. Similarly, some climate control devices indicate the nature of detected system faults in an encoded format using a set of indicating lights. However, determining the nature of a fault based on which lights are illuminated requires reference to a chart or table which might also provide helpful troubleshooting information, but which must first be located by the customer, if possible, when needed.
As recognized by the inventor hereof, what is needed is a means for customers to conveniently obtain HVAC troubleshooting information upon demand, for customers to readily contact an HVAC contractor when service is needed, and for HVAC contractors to increase the volume of their repeat business from customers.
In order to solve these and other needs in the art, the inventor hereof has designed an HVAC service assistance device which assists individuals with troubleshooting their climate control systems, and with contacting an HVAC contractor for service when necessary. Stored within the device is HVAC troubleshooting information that is conveniently provided to users via an audio speaker and/or a visual display in a non-encoded format that can be readily understood by users without resort to separate charts, tables, product manuals and the like. This troubleshooting information is preferably provided to users on demand, and not simply when a problem with a climate control system is detected. The service assistance device may also store contact information for an HVAC contractor, such as the name and phone number of the contractor that installed or last serviced the user""s climate control system. This information can then be conveniently accessed by the user when the climate control system next requires servicing. At the same time, by recording (or having prerecorded) their contact information in the service assistance device of the present invention, HVAC contractors may increase their opportunities for receiving repeat business from customers over time. Additionally, the service assistance device may include a service call button which, when depressed, automatically sends a call for service to an HVAC contractor over a communication network, such as a telephone or computer network, using prerecorded contact information for the HVAC contractor. The service assistance device may be embodied within a thermostat for a climate control system.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a service assistance device for a climate control system includes an input device via which a user can initiate an automated call for service of the climate control system, a memory device for storing contact information for an HVAC contractor, a communication network interface for connecting the service assistance device to a communication network, and a processor operatively connected to the input device, the memory device, and the communication network interface. The processor is configured to contact the HVAC contractor, through the communication network using the communication network interface and the contact information stored in the memory device, in response to the user initiating the automated call for service via the input device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of assisting a user in troubleshooting a climate control system includes the steps of providing a service assistance device having troubleshooting information for the climate control system stored therein, the service assistance device including an input device via which the user can provide a request for assistance; receiving a request for assistance provided by the user via the input device; and providing troubleshooting information for the climate control system to the user in response to the received request for assistance.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of assisting a user in obtaining service for a climate control system includes the steps of providing a service assistance device having contact information for an HVAC contractor stored therein, the service assistance device including an input device via which the user can provide a request for assistance; receiving a request for assistance provided by the user via the input device; and providing the contact information for the HVAC contractor to the user in response to the received request for assistance.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for scheduling service of a climate control system includes the steps of receiving an automated call for service provided by a device in response to input from a user, the automated call for service relating to a need for service of the user""s climate control system; determining contact information for the user; contacting the user using the determined contact information; and scheduling service of the user""s climate control system.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a computer-readable medium has computer-executable instructions recorded thereon for implementing any one or more of the devices and methods described herein.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.